Ghana’s “socialites” charge $200 million to clean up obsolete Saltpond oilfield

The birthplace of modern Ghanaian politics

A 2.5-hour drive along the coast from Ghana’s capital of Accra lands you in sleepy Saltpond, the birthplace of Ghana’s first political party.

Go down the beach and hop into a canoe, and the bubbly fishermen will safely glide you in about four or five hours to the dilapidated Saltpond Oilfield 13 kilometers offshore. The only feature of note in that sober stretch of water is a hulking, slowly rotting, iron tower known in the petroleum trade as a “jack-up rig”. How it got there is the story of the Saltpond oilfield, a fascinating tale of the interplay between politics, business, and high society.